ISRAELI RAIDS CURRENCY EXCHANGE SHOPS IN WEST BANK

West Bank, 15 Rajab 1436/4 May 2015 (MINA) – Israeli army forces on Sunday raided several currency exchange shops in the occupied West Bank on the pretext of involvement in transferring funds to Palestinian factions Hamas.

Israeli radio said the raids came after Israeli security authorities received a tip-off indicating that some currency exchange companies are transferring funds to Hamas activists in the West Bank through exchange offices in Jordan and Western Union.

“During the raids, army forces seized funds and documents that are currently being used in the investigation of the case,” the broadcaster quoted an Israeli security source as saying, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“These funds were transferred using fake names and falsified statements on the sources of funds to circumvent international sanctions imposed on Hamas,” the broadcaster said, adding that the funds were transferred to Western countries before being sent back to the West Bank.

“The objective of these fraudulent activities is to help Hamas transfer funds to the West Bank and finance acts of vandalism,” the source was quoted as saying.

On Tuesday, Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet said that it has arrested a Hamas-linked cell for allegedly transferring funds from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank through Jordan.(T/P002/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)